police

Police Investigating After Vehicle Strikes Pedestrian Near Busy Crystal City Intersection This Morning

By Alex Koma

Police are investigating after a truck struck a pedestrian near a busy Crystal City intersection this morning (Friday).

County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage said the crash happened around 6:30 a.m. today near the intersection of Jefferson Davis Highway and 23rd Street S.

Savage said a vehicle struck the pedestrian, who was transported to a local hospital with “non-life threatening injuries.”

A tipster told ARLnow that the vehicle in question was a landscaping truck.

Based on the initial investigation, police do not believe the pedestrian was in the crosswalk at the time of the crash. Savage said the investigation is still ongoing.

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Crime Report: Police Investigating Attempted Break-In at Cherrydale Catholic School

By Alex Koma

Someone tried to break into the Saint Agnes Catholic School last Friday, according to Arlington County Police.

Police say they were called to the 2000 block of N. Randolph Street around 3:30 p.m. The Cherrydale neighborhood is home to both St. Agnes Catholic Church and its attached school building.

Callers told police that “an unknown suspect(s) attempted to force entry” to the school. However, they could not offer any description of the would-be burglars. Police say the investigation is ongoing.

Full details from a county crime report:

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY, 2018-12140180, 2000 block of N. Randolph Street. At approximately 3:23 p.m. on December 14, police were dispatched to the report of destruction of property. Upon arrival, it was determined that between approximately 1:00 p.m. and 2:29 p.m., an unknown suspect(s) attempted to force entry to a school. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.

And here are some other highlights from the past week of crime reports, including some we’ve already reported:

ROBBERY, 2018-12170009, 900 block of S. Buchanan Street. At approximately 1:05 a.m. on December 17, police were dispatched to the report of trouble unknown. Upon arrival, it was determined that the two victims were walking in the area when a known male suspect began following them. When the victims arrived at their destination, they asked the suspect to leave, however, the suspect threatened the victims and stole one victim’s cell phone before fleeing on foot prior to police arrival. A warrant for robbery was obtained for the suspect.

BURGLARY, 2018-12140219, 1200 block of N. Taft Street. At approximately 4:30 p.m. on December 14, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary just discovered. Upon arrival, it was determined that between 7:50 a.m. and 4:15 p.m., an unknown suspect gained entry to a residence and stole items of value. The suspect is described as a black male, 30-40 years old, approximately 6’0″ and 180-210 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. The investigation is ongoing.

PEDESTRIAN-INVOLVED CRASH, 2018-12130082, Fort Myer Drive at Lee Highway. At approximately 9:26 a.m. on December 13, police were dispatched to the report of a pedestrian-involved crash with injuries. Upon arrival, it was determined that a pedestrian pushing a child in a stroller was struck by a dump truck as she crossed the street. The pedestrian maneuvered the stroller out of the way and the child was not injured. The pedestrian was transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the striking vehicle, John Washington, 63, of Silver Spring, MD, was charged with Reckless Driving and Failure to Yield to a Pedestrian in a Crosswalk.

BOMB THREAT, 2018-121300147, 1900 block of S. Eads Street/4300 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 2:00 p.m. on December 13, Arlington County Police began responding to three locations in Arlington County which had received bomb threats through electronic communications. Each location self-evacuated prior to police arrival. The threats are believed to be related to similar threats received through the United States. There is no known credible threat in Arlington County.

JUST IN: Uber Driver Runs Off Lee Highway, Knocking Down Street Signs and Light Pole

By Alex Koma
1/7

Police are now investigating after an Uber driver ran off the road near the Lee Harrison Shopping Center, crashing into some street signs and knocking down a light pole.

The crash happened this morning on Lee Highway in Yorktown, near its intersection on N. Harrison Street.

It appears as if the driver of a hatchback, complete with an Uber sticker, lost control of the vehicle and drove down the sidewalk near the shopping center. The driver managed to knock down several street signs and a light pole, which fell into the street, before colliding with another utility pole.

Arlington Police and firefighters are currently on the scene evaluating the driver for injuries and administering a field sobriety test.

They’ve closed the westbound lane of Lee Highway as the investigation continues.

UPDATE: Police Investigating Apparent Murder-Suicide Near Seven Corners

By Alex Koma

(Update at 2:20 p.m.) Police are now investigating an incident where two people were shot and killed at a Seven Corners-area apartment complex as a murder-suicide.

Fairfax County Police say the incident happened just before noon today (Tuesday) along the 3100 block of S. Manchester Street, near the Arlington County line.

Investigators now believe a man struck a woman with an SUV, and shot her. He then shot and killed himself, police believe.

Detectives are now working to identify the people involved.

Police don’t believe there’s any threat to the public associated with the shooting, but are still advising people to avoid the area.

Photo via @FairfaxCountyPD

Glebewood Man Pleads Guilty to Using Dark Web to Download Child Pornography

By Alex Koma

An Arlington man now faces up to two decades behind bars, after admitting to downloading child pornography from the dark web.

Federal prosecutors say 39-year-old Jon T. Wilkins, a former commercial bank executive, pleaded guilty today (Friday) to one count of “receiving child pornography.” A judge could now sentence him to anywhere between five and 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors allege that FBI agents discovered that Wilkins was active on “Playpen,” a dark web forum specializing in child pornography, back in 2015.

They then tracked Wilkins’ IP address to his home in a Glebewood neighborhood, and secured search warrants for his property. Investigators then found dozens of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of preteen girls on computers belonging to Wilkins.

Prosecutors added in a news release that Wilkins “attempted to conceal his illegal behavior by utilizing Tor, a special web browser that permits access to the dark web while hiding browsing activity.” But agents still uncovered some of his browser history, according to an affidavit filed in federal court.

Wilkins is set for a sentencing hearing on April 5.

Police Charge Dump Truck Driver Who Allegedly Struck Woman Pushing Stroller in Rosslyn Crosswalk

By Alex Koma
1/5

The driver of a dump truck who allegedly struck a woman pushing a stroller in a Rosslyn intersection yesterday (Thursday) is now facing criminal charges.

Arlington Police announced today (Friday) that they’re charging 63-year-old John Washington of Silver Spring, Maryland with reckless driving and failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk in connection with the crash.

The incident happened around the intersection of Lee Highway and Ft. Myer Drive around 9:30 a.m. Thursday. Police believe the woman was crossing the street with a child in a stroller when the truck driver struck her.

She was taken to the hospital with “serious but non-life threatening injuries,” though police say she was able to maneuver the stroller out of the way before the crash, and the child was not hurt.

Washington will face his first hearing on those charges on Monday (Dec. 17), according to county police spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

Here’s How Arlington First Responders Train to Handle ‘Active Shooter’ Scenarios

By Alex Koma

The call went out over a police radio channel shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday: there’s an active shooter at Washington-Lee High School, with multiple gunshot victims.

Luckily, this was just a drill, an exercise that police and dispatchers used to prepare should such a nightmare scenario ever play out in Arlington.

In fact, Arlington County Police say they have been actively training since 1999 to handle a school shooting or any such “active shooter” situation, an all-too-common occurrence that has traumatized communities across the country.

The department also formed a “Tactical Training Unit” in 2013 to put an increased focus on the issue, providing each patrol officer with a minimum of six “training days” each year, according to a county fact sheet on the issue.

“Patrol officers participate in ‘no-notice’ training three times per year,” the fact sheet says. “This training requires on-duty police officers and firefighters to respond to a mock training scenario and practice integrating police and fire/EMS response to incidents such as ‘Active Violence Events.'”

The police department also has a full-time officer assigned to the county’s “High Threat Response Program” to coordinate how first responders manage such incidents across Arlington’s various departments.

All Arlington Public Schools also conduct at least four “lockdown” drills each year, coordinating with each building’s school resource officers for each one. Those officers also work with APS staff on “tabletop exercises in preparation for emergency situations,” the fact sheet said.

File photo

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Rolling Thunder to Coming to a Stop — The 2019 Rolling Thunder rally will be the group’s last Memorial Day rally in the D.C. area, organizers say. The rally has brought thousands of bikers, along with road closures and motorcycle noise, to Arlington over the past three decades. [Washington Post]

The Gritty Pre-History of Crystal City — “Before development flourished (the entrepreneurs offered bargain rates to federal agencies), the area ‘was a conglomeration of places that sold junk, used tires, a drive-in movie theater, a run-down ice skating rink, second-hand materials — it was very unattractive…’ The industrial area leading to the Potomac Yard railway tracks for decades was bordered by sketchy bar-rooms of the 19th-century Jackson City and National Airport’s precursor, Hoover Field.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Seasonal Pop-Ups at Pentagon City Mall — A trio of “seasonal pop-up shops” are opening at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City: Chukulata, a sweet shop selling crepes and other treats; PolarX Ornaments, selling holiday decor and personalized ornaments; and Trunk and Drawer, which “specializes in men’s fashionable undergarments as well as sleepwear, activewear and swimwear,” per a press release.

Stepped Up DUI Enforcement Underway — “To help spread the message about the dangers of drunk driving, the Arlington County Police Department is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to get drunk drivers off the roads and help save lives during the national high-visibility enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, which runs from December 13-31, 2018.” [Arlington County]

JBG Buying More Sites in ‘National Landing’ — “JBG Smith Properties has reached a deal to buy a development site across from Virginia Tech’s planned innovation campus in Alexandria, part of a larger strategy to acquire land in and around the National Landing area that includes Amazon.com Inc.’s new headquarters.” [Washington Business Journal]

Nearby: Old Town Getting Left Behind? — “The old guard of Alexandria, mainly in Old Town, has for decades wielded a sort of NIMBY clout and deployed ample financial resources to fight projects. The plans to activate Alexandria’s 8.6-acre waterfront were delayed for years due to community pushback and legal challenges… But fears that Alexandria will be left behind as competition intensifies with flashier destinations such as National Harbor and The Wharf are spurring change.” [Washington Business Journal]

Flickr pool photo by Michael Coffman

BREAKING: Crystal City Building Evacuated Amid Widespread Bomb Threats

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4 p.m.) An office building in Crystal City has been evacuated after a company inside reportedly received a bomb threat via email.

Police and firefighters were first dispatched to 1919 S. Eads Street for a report of a bomb threat around 2:15 p.m. Among the building’s tenants are the Consumer Technology Association and Inside Washington Publishers.

Shortly after the initial dispatch, it was reported that the fire alarm in the building was sounding and people were evacuating.

This is the second bomb threat to prompt an office evacuation in Crystal City so far this month.

Meanwhile, another emailed bomb threat has been reported at 4300 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn, headquarters to energy company AES and home to other offices and retail businesses.

News outlets are reporting that “dozens” of bomb threats have been reported at news outlets and other businesses and institutions across the U.S., though the threats are not believed to be credible. The FBI is monitoring the situation, both in the D.C. area and nationwide.

BREAKING: Dump Truck Injures Woman Pushing Stroller in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
1/7

(Updated at 12:25 p.m.) Arlington County Police are investigating a crash in Rosslyn involving a dump truck and a woman who was pushing a stroller.

The crash happened around 9:30 a.m. at the intersection of Lee Highway and Ft. Myer Drive. According to a police spokeswoman, a female pedestrian was struck by a dump truck and suffered serious — but at this point non-life-threatening — injuries. The woman was pushing a stroller at the time but the child was not injured, police said.

The victim was rushed to the trauma center at George Washington University Hospital. Detectives are on scene investigating, as is standard procedure for crashes involving very serious injuries.

All lanes of eastbound Lee Highway were previously blocked at N. Nash Street, but have since reopened. Police have moved the investigation onto N. Lynn Street, closing two lanes on that road. Major backups have been reported on the Key Bridge and Ft. Myer Drive approaching Rosslyn.

Road closures are expected to remain in place “for a significant amount of time” while officers investigate the cause of the crash, according to Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arrest Made in Rosslyn Stabbing — “Police identified the [stabbing] suspect as Isiah Hill, 61, of Washington D.C. and obtained warrants for Aggravated Malicious Wounding and Abduction. At approximately 2:15 p.m. on December 12, the U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Arlington County Police Department, took the suspect into custody in Washington, D.C.” [Arlington County]

Isabella Restaurants File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy — Embattled chef Mike Isabella’s restaurant group has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation. Barring a last-minute rescue, most of his restaurants, including Pepita, Yona, and Kapnos Taverna in Ballston, are likely to close by Dec. 27. [Washingtonian]

Home Sales Still Down in Arlington — “A total of 198 properties went to closing across the county in November… That’s down nearly 22 percent from a year before, coming on top of a 13-percent year-over-year drop in October sales. But year-over-year average sales prices were stable in two of the three segments of the market.” [InsideNova]

Another Big Metro Shutdown Planned — “Next summer’s shutdown of the Blue and Yellow lines south of Reagan National Airport will run from May 25 through Sept. 2, 2019. Additional Blue Line single-tracking between Van Dorn Street and Franconia-Springfield is planned from Sept. 3 through Sept. 29.” [WTOP]

Video: Dogs and Santa in Shirlington — “About 100 dogs got their pictures taken with Santa Claus by a professional pet photographer at Dogma Gourmet Dog Bakery and Boutique in Arlington, Virginia. From large Golden Retrievers to pint-sized Chihuahuas, the pups were dressed for the holidays.” [Voice of America]

Photo courtesy Ray Villarreal

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